Total housing starts continued to fall in September to a seasonally adjusted 817,000. While a 1.6 percent decrease was expected, new construction actually plummeted 6.3 percent. “Unfortunately, the heavy toll that today’s financial-market woes are taking on consumer confidence is a major impediment to getting housing back on track as an engine of economic growth,” NAHB Chair Sandy Dunn said.

                 
1.03 million   977,000   1.06 million   965,000   895,000   817,000
Apr.   May   June   July   Aug.   Sept.

SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU